Thursday, June 26, 2014

The NBA makes another great play and Odjick faces another fight

From where I sit it looks like the NBA got it right again... 



Isaiah Austin could have been a good to great NBA player. Could have. A diagnosis of a rare medical condition ended his playing days before the ink was dry. Making Austin an honorary pick was essentially pointless. It also transcended sport. Creating a spot to pay tribute to a deserving young man was almost perfect. Classy is an overused word, but I can't think of a better way to describe the gesture from Adam Silver and the NBA. Following their strong performance in the Donald Sterling affair, the NBA is now 2-for-2 on the season.

From tears of joy to tears of pain...the health battle facing Gino Odjick...



via blogs.theprovince.com
 
I grew up cheering for big Gino. Living in suburban Vancouver, the harsh realities of First Nations life were far away.  Odjick brought those concerns to the coast.  He talked openly about growing up and the struggles he faced.  It came as no surprise that Odjick never played a pretty game. It was always raw and emotional. He was a force on the ice. A straight ahead style that had Canuck fans (myself included) chanting "Gi-no, Gi-no" with every hit or fight. The occasional goal brought a raucous celebration from fans and player alike. More than that Odjick battled on the ice. No matter the situation, Gino could be counted on to give it everything he had. Now the battle is in his body. I've got no doubt that he will fight as long as he can. It was how he played and I would expect nothing less. 

via vancouversun.com
 
At least that's how I see it, and I sit in the cheap seats.

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